Flynn

RL71 - 30 VIG - 14 MND - 30 END - 28 STR - 14 DEX - 18 INT - 9 FTH - 7 ARC

Resa

RL71 - 23 VIG - 19 MND - 12 END - 12 STR - 32 DEX - 9 INT - 34 FTH - 9 ARC

Resa

If this damned swamp didn't get the best of me…I wasn't sure what would.

Part of it was my own doing, though not one that I regretted. Flynn had proposed trying to traverse the swamp atop Torrent, a proposal I adamantly refused. We had chosen to do this, and we were well aware of the scarlet rot's effects on, well, everything. Subjecting Torrent to that, rather than ourselves, just felt wrong. Faster? Almost certainly…but wouldn't stand for it.

And thus, that was why we found ourselves attempting to slosh through the murky swamp for a fourth time now, our first three attempts going about as one would expect - a slow, agonizing death as the rot drained us of all of our restorative resources, and then kept biting and consuming us until we succumbed to it.

We'd gotten some intel during that time, thankfully, a hint as to where to look. Gowry had mentioned seeking the rot where it was deepest, and that had pointed us to the towering spire that we'd seen on the way in. It seemed guarded, too, by lanky knights in a sort of brassy armor, wielding a spear and a scythe with a crescent-moon blade. I could only surmise that they, too, had been consumed by the rot, as they seemed completely unphased by it as they trudged through the mire, and were perfectly content with assailing us with a myriad of attacks, making our trek deeper into the swamp even more fraught with danger.

This time, though, we'd changed our angle of attack, coming at the center spire more from the north rather than the south after three attempts and nothing to show for it. Unfortunately the swamp was even more dangerous here, the liquid rot warmer, nearly boiling in places. It erupted in gouts at various points that arced twenty, maybe thirty feet into the air. Despite the need for urgency we traversed slower, wary of getting caught in one of those blasts.

I took a breather on a mound of fungus, glancing around…a glimmer caught my eye, to the south. I coughed, a brief hint of excitement hitting me while my body tried its best to keep from dying. "Flynn!"

My brother was behind me, wading through the rot with more difficulty than I was. "What?"

"I see something." I moved from my resting point, pushing forward. The glimmer was larger than I'd expected a needle to be…and as I got closer, I realized it wasn't a needle at all. However, it was a grace - and given our proximity to the wall of trees that surrounded the tall spire, hopefully one that would give us easier access moving forward. I continued to shuffle forward as I felt the ground begin to rumble beneath me, a telltale signal that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I threw myself forward as a geyser of rot erupted from beneath me, just managing to catch my back legs. I was sent spinning through the air, landing face-first into the rot. I thrashed, the horrid, biting feeling now quickly consuming me as I desperately tried to stand up, finding my bearings. I wanted to open my eyes, but I couldn't…the pain on my skin was unbearable enough, I didn't even want to imagine what it would feel like if it reached my eyes. Blindly I pushed forward on all fours, my hands eventually finding dry land, my feet not far behind them. I couldn't tell where the grace was - it gave off no warmth like the bonfires of Lordran did, and it had no presence. I simply held out my hand and prayed, hoping that I could set it alight, and give us a respite from the living hell that we were surrounded in. There was no sound, no signal…my flask already drained, I resigned to holding my hand out and simply hoping, hoping that I could find us grace before I succumbed to the rot once again.

I lived longer than I expected…which made me think that I'd found it. I resigned to staying still and within the grace's light, healing me while the rot ran its course on me. Soon I did feel a warmth accompanied by the clinking of metal as Flynn came up to me. "You took a bit of a fall there. What can I do?"

"I…I can't see. The rot is - "

"Hold still…I'll see what I can do." I felt him dabbing at my hands and face with a cloth, wiping the scarlet rot from my skin. The pain lingered but began to dwindle as Flynn took care of me, until the pain slowly subsided. "There…open your eyes."

I did, seeing the familiar visage of my brother's helm in front of me. "Thanks, I needed that."

He chuckled. "Actually, you didn't…the rot had mostly subsided, but I figured you'd feel more comfortable if you felt me removing it. In any case, you should be good now." He looked around, continuing. "I can see why you thought this was the needle, but it should still prove useful nonetheless. Are you ready to keep going?"

I nodded. "Yeah…just needed a moment to catch my breath." I stood up, surveying what was in front of us. "We might be able to avoid stepping in the rot if we try to climb along the fungus. Maybe not entirely, but…honestly, I'll take any alternative to walking through this crap again."

"Plus, given how guarded this area's been with those knights, if there is something even greater waiting for us, probably best to avoid getting caught with the rot."

"You think there's a fight waiting for us?"

Flynn shrugged. "I'm not sure. Something this powerful, that can literally keep the rot at bay? If that's true, I have to imagine we're not the first ones to come searching for it. If Gowry thinks it's still here, there might be someone or something that wants to keep it here…maybe something that wants to see the scarlet rot persist like this?"

"You think there's something that would want to continue…this?" I looked around - though we'd been in the swamp for a while now, every time I looked up and around reminded me of what a hellscape it was.

"Something put it here in the first place, remember that. We don't know what, or why, or how…but it did. And if it meant to, it probably doesn't want someone cleaning it up. And if it's powerful enough to do this, then I have to imagine that it has loyalists or followers. Think of all the places we've been and all the people we've met. Remember what Aldrich turned Anor Londo into? Some people out there only care about what they want."

I shuddered, remembering the dark, gloomy shell of Anor Londo that greeted us when we reawoke in the land of Lothric - and how Aldrich was the source of it all. "Good point. Alright, well if we need to be ready for a fight, then let's not waste any time. We've spent a while even getting this far, and amongst all the rot geysers around here I can't hear much else. If we want to help Blaidd, we shouldn't delay."

"Alright. I'll lead the way." Flynn hefted up his weapons, helping me to my feet as we headed deeper. We were on something akin to a sandbar, admittedly one laden with the usual rot-fueled fungus. There were more signs of death here, the ground ahead littered with bones that had all but melted, adding another layer to the already overwhelmingly unappealing smell of the rot swamp. Still, we trudged ahead…I only hoped that whomever this Millicent was, that this needle truly could save her.

We passed under a tree branch, stepping into a place of relative calm - but it was also clear that we were in the epicenter of the rot. Looking up nearly gave me a bout of vertigo as rot-infested trees reached towards the blood-red sky above, creating a sort of bowl inside of which no pools of rot sat.

However…we weren't alone. Near the center of this bowl was a figure, one wearing a thick furred cape and wielding a large halberd. I couldn't see much more from here, but he simply stood on guard, not yet aware of our presence. "Alright…I guess it is a fight then."

"Like I said…if the needle is this powerful, we aren't the only ones looking for it. We just have to be the strongest…I hope." Flynn ducked behind one of the trees, imbuing his cleaver with magic and taking a drink from his crystalline flask. I prepared as well, coating my katana with electricity and drinking my flask. That familiar hum of energy filled me, the feeling that I could keep running, keep swinging, keep dodging - and in a place like this, that would certainly be to our advantage.

As Flynn took a step forward, I grabbed him on the shoulder. "Hold on…let's tilt the odds even further in our favor." I pulled out my summoning bell, holding Latenna's urn in my other hand. A large, open field, one where our opposition was on the other side? It seemed like the perfect battlefield for her. The bell rung softly as Latenna's spirit was brought forth, the Albinauric woman resting on the ground. Once she had her senses I looked at her. "Can you help us with this?"

"Of course, Resa. I will do what I can."

"Thank you. I'll try to keep you safe should he reach you…but hopefully that won't be the case."

"I will as well." Flynn hefted up his shield, holding it alongside his cleaver. "Now, let's not waste any more time."

"Agreed." I raised my seal to the air, summoned a crackling bolt of lightning in my hand. I let it thrum and spark in my hand as Flynn closed the gap, not wanting to start the engagement prematurely.

The figure heard the clanking of metal, turning to look at us, giving me a better look at him. He looked to be in heavy armor, likely far heavier than Flynn's, wearing a red tabard over his chest. If he was afflicted with rot I couldn't tell - the armor covered up most of the usual tells like gauntness or fungus, but the mere fact that he was here, and had been…I had my assumptions.

As soon as the figure locked eyes on us he swung his halberd, a banneret flag waving in the air behind it as he did. A deep, gruff voice bellowed out as he did so, finishing the motion by slamming the halberd into the ground. "Men…to arms!"

The word was punctuated by a pulse of energy - along with the arrival of five figures around him, all the same silvery-white color that Latenna and other spirits that I summoned had. These looked similar to the soldiers we fought in Stormveil castle, and each of these bore a crossbow that was promptly leveled in our direction.

"Well…so much for tilting the odds. I'll keep them busy, you make sure the big guy can't get to me." As a fusillade of bolts was launched at us Flynn raised his shield up, several of them peppering the metal and falling to the ground while others sailed overhead. He strafed to the left, ignoring the presumed commander as he went after the soldiers. Latenna as well focused on them, pulling her bow back as three silvery bolts were launched in one of the soldier's direction, homing in on it with practiced accuracy.

That left me and the commander…easy enough. I loosed the lightning bolt that I'd been holding, sending it hurtling towards him as it struck him in the shoulder. I started running forwards, launching another bolt before temporarily stowing my seal and reaching for my rapier. While I closed the distance he again waved the weapon through the air, another pulse of energy emanating out from him. I expected several more soldiers to appear, but instead I noticed a faint glow to the existing ones, as well as a renewed sheen to their weapons…it seemed that he not only could call them forth, but also empower them.

Once I got in melee with the much taller figure, I lost focus on Flynn, and instead turned my attention solely to the commander and his halberd. His weapon had far more reach than mine, but my advantage was in my speed - and with the buzz of energy coursing through me, I could make ample use of that. He lunged forward, thrusting the weapon towards me as I dodged to the left, rolling around the blade and slashing with my katana as I turned, pivoting to land behind him where I thrust forward with my rapier, continuing the attack. He spun around in an attempt to catch me with the pole, but this time I dropped to the ground, again cutting at him with my blade. Wherever he tried to swing, I had a way out as well as a way to cut and thrust in response. Things were feeling…too easy.

That all changed when the commander slammed his flag into the ground. Once again, I dodged to the side, easily avoiding the staff itself - but I was completely caught off guard by the eruption of scarlet rot that he seemingly called forth, creating a biting cloud that made my eyes water and my throat burn. I scrambled away, trying to escape before I inhaled too much of it, but as the burn moved deeper and deeper down into my lungs I could tell it was already. I managed to choke out only a single word. "Flynn!"

My brother turned, dislodging his cleaver from the aetherial form of one of the soldiers as a trio of arrows from Latennna landed in its face, making the silvery figure fade away. He could see all the telltale signs of rot taking hold of me, immediately disengaging from the two remaining marksmen to come to my aid. His cleaver crashed into the commander's back, fully shifting the commander's attention to himself. "I'll focus on him. Just take out the rest."

"Sure thing." I could barely see, the dust in my eyes along with my own burning tears creating a blurry mess that was hard to pierce. My mind started to feel numb as the rot took over more and more of me, but right now none of that mattered. We were on a timer now - either we win and find that needle, or the rot claims me and our time is wasted.

I backpedaled from the commander, wiping my eyes to try and clear up my vision but only managing to make it worse. Thankfully, the silvery forms of the marksmen were somewhat easy to spot amongst the reds and browns of Caelid's landscape, and even more thankfully I had ways of engaging from far away. I sheathed my rapier and once again grabbed my seal, forming and throwing a lightning spear at one of the two silvery forms that I could see. Its form flickered as the lightning struck, my aim still true even when my eyes were cloudy. I formed another and another, throwing two more spears at one of the forms until I saw it fade away, leaving only one left.

My mind hiccuped, thinking…where were the arrows? I couldn't see them coming to even attempt to dodge them, and I was sure they wouldn't dare fire at their commander while Flynn was engaged. My mind spun for a couple seconds until it hit me - and my heart sunk…Latenna. My eyes scanned the horizon, looking for a third silvery form off in the distance. It was so hard to tell where we entered and where I was…but I thought I saw it, a lone white shadow a fair distance away. I rushed towards it, running as fast as my legs could carry me, an ever-slowing pace as the rot began sapping my strength as well as my sight. I took a hit from my flask, momentarily staving off the effects, the burning fading but only slightly.

When I got to Latenna my lungs were burning, despite the run being only a handful of seconds. "Are you alright?"

To my relief, a voice responded. "I'm alive Resa, but you must watch out for yourself. This form is fleeting…yours is not."

"No…I let you down. Here, I can help." I spoke a short prayer as a pulse of healing came out of me, directed towards the archer. I didn't even know if I could heal her, if anything could, but I wanted to…it was my literal shortsightedness that had put her in this position.

"I appreciate it, Resa, but do be cautious…the commander has summoned three more warriors. They are larger and wield axes…and they are running this way."

We'd seen some of those in Stormveil as well…and given my current state, they were going to pose a much larger threat than the archers. I took another long drink from my flask again as I wiped my eyes once more, managing to turn the incoherent blur into something comprehensible. It worked well enough…rather than a silver blob I could make out the distinct shape of arms, legs, and an axe, but finer features were still out of the question. Though the commander's attire blended in with the landscape, I could easily place Flynn by the consistent blue glow of his weapon, as well as occasional flashes of blue from sorceries that he was casting…whatever I did, I would need to avoid firing in that direction.

"I'll try to keep them off of you, Latenna…in return, I ask only that you do what you can for me as well."

"I would offer nothing less, Resa. I will try to dispatch the final crossbowman first." Latenna pulled her bowstring back, launching the arrows high into the air as they arced over the oncoming axe wielders and towards the crossbowmen in the back…that left me to deal with the larger figures. One person, I could almost always outmaneuver. Two, it depended on their level of skill. Three…that was when the odds were rarely in my favor, and that was when I wasn't impaired.

I called down a cone of frozen lightning, forcing the oncoming group to split up unless they wished to get smote when the lightning came down. I splintered off to the side where only a single one had diverted, giving me a chance to slash at it once while I dodged an incoming swing from its axe, circling around behind it to give it a parting slash as I backed up. I remembered from fighting Rennala that these spirits had no real…form. Striking them only gave a slight resistance to my blade as it traveled through, rather than the usual feeling of metal sinking into flesh. It made my movements faster, and yet less practiced - and my training kept telling me that the strikes were misses, despite seeing the contrary. Still, I continued attacking, keeping a watch on Latenna's form as well as Flynn's making sure the both of them were safe.

Perhaps on a good day I could have taken on the three of these spirits…but with the rot eating away at me and the ever-growing burn in every muscle, bone, and fiber of my body, it was proving too difficult. My reactions were sluggish and my swings were growing slower, causing me to miss swings that I should have hit and to receive hits I should have avoided. The axes they carried were ruthless, something that would look at home in Flynn's hands, and even a grazing blow was enough to make me grit my teeth in pain and try to retreat, but that risked giving them the room to focus on Latenna. I took only the briefest moments to heal when I could afford it, ensuring that I kept Latenna safe.

Every so often I would look back over at Flynn, only to see the blue glow of his weapon still present. Whatever he was doing, it was working - He was far more hardy than I was, and even if the commander had afflicted him with the rot, I was sure he could power through. I still maintained a watch on him, but the majority of my focus stayed on Latenna - she couldn't move, and with three foes within her proximity, even one second of me being out of position could cause her bane.

Soon, one of the three fell, thanks largely to an unceasing volley of arrows from Latenna. I mostly served to keep them distracted, but now that one had fallen I could afford to be more aggressive. I stowed my seal and withdrew my rapier once more, no longer needing to resort to my seal to tend to my wounds at a moment's notice. I struck at one of the two remaining soldiers, landing a well-aimed shot at its torso but receiving a strike from its axe on my shoulder in response. My knees buckled from the blow, nearly enough to make me crumple to the ground, but I held firm. I escaped, slashing away from it as I departed, giving Latenna room to fire at it once I was out of the way.

In time, two became one…and eventually, one became zero, as all that stood remaining was the commander. I moved to Latenna, nearly draining my flask as I continued to fight the effects of the rot…usually I thought I would have shrugged it off by now, but I could tell that was far from the case. "How is Flynn doing?"

"He seems to have the upper hand…though I think his stamina is waning. If you can tend to his wounds, I think he will succeed. I can aid him as well, now that he is the only remaining combatant."

"Thank you, Latenna…I don't think we could have done this without you."

"Again Resa, it is my thanks to you for agreeing to take me to the Haligtree. Serving you as a spirit is a modest price to pay in return."

"I know…but it is appreciated nonetheless." Latenna simply nodded a response as she placed another arrow upon her bow and let it loose upon the commander. I ran up behind Flynn, holding up my seal as I healed his wounds. I didn't want to interfere…I was confident that Flynn had this, and given my fatigue I was only going to get in the way. I stayed a safe distance back, watching as eruptions of rot clashed with flashes of blue.

In the end, Flynn was victorious. After an eruption of rot, I saw my brother rear his blade back as it pulsed with Carian power, the blue glow swelling in size as he brought the full weight of his ash of war down upon the commander, enough to finally seal the deal. The commander's body crumpled to the ground and began to fade away…and as it did, I saw a small glimmering shape fall from him, coming to rest on the murky ground. Flynn was faster on the draw, kneeling down to pick up the item…s?

"It's…it needs work, but we can deal with that later. How are you?"

"I…can't see very well, the rot must have gotten in my eyes. If you could guide me to the grace, I could use a rest."

"Sure Resa…let's go." I felt Flynn's hand come to rest on my shoulder, the two of us leaving the towering rot trees around us as we returned to the grace. Once we got there, I felt my vision start to be restored by the power of the grace, until eventually I could see again.

More importantly, I could see what Flynn mentioned. The needle was in half, severed near its center. There was no way for us to know if it was already like that or if we had damaged it during the fight, but either way it wouldn't be of much use to us, or Millicent, in its current state.

"Maybe Gowry has an idea? At the very least we can bring him what we found, and see if there's anything more that he needs of us." Flynn held the two pieces in each hand, clenching his fists. "I should have suspected that that person was holding the needle…I should have been more careful."

"There's no way to know if it was you, no sense assigning blame now. Let's go."

We made our way back to Gowry's humble shack, galloping past the various denizens of Caelid as well as dodging more jars thrown at us from the cliffside. When we returned it was as if we were being expected, Gowry already looking in our direction, the faintest hint of a grin upon his features. "I knew I could count on you. You've found the needle?"

Flynn held out one hand, keeping it clenched at the moment. "We did…there's just one problem. It's in need of repair." He opened his hand, revealing the separate halves. "I'm sorry."

"Oh it was not you boy…the needle was broken long ago. That very act is what created Caelid as you know it today. I was expecting it to be returned like this, and I have a plan but it will take me a bit of time. As promised, I can tell you the secret of Sellia's walls. I have kept Millicent safe beyond them, so while I tend to the needle, it may be prudent that you set foot in Sellia and open the way to her. Every moment wasted brings her closer to being overtaken by the rot."

My mind kept flitting back to Blaidd, and the timeline we were on with him. But hearing that…after suffering through the rot for as long as we did, I knew we had to help her. We'd always managed to stave off the rot by returning to graces, but I wasn't sure if that was because we were 'Tarnished' or not. If Millicent had no way to keep it at bay other than this needle…there was no greater priority.

"So what do we need to know about Sellia?"

Gowry gave an uncharacteristically solemn nod. "The belltowers light the way. Ring all three, and the path forward will open. Millicent sits in a church at the top of the hill. Return to me once the way is open, and take the needle to her. You've done so much already, but - "

"We'll do it, Gowry. Just focus on the needle." Flynn said it, but we were of the same mind this time. Perhaps Blaidd would storm the castle without us, but I was sure he'd wait on us for Radahn. If the price for saving Millicent's life was being late to the festival…I could…no, I would come to terms with that. "Let's go, Flynn."

The gate to Sellia wasn't far, just a short jaunt from Gowry's shack. The sky above had shifted from a blood red to more of a bluish purple as night started to set in across Caelid, which when combined with a thick fog that seemed to hang over the town gave Sellia an air of mystery. At first glance, it looked like any other settlement we'd found, though with the usual influence of Caelid. Stone towers and archways had long since crumbled, with various pieces of rooftop stranded along the ground. Fungal rot had overtaken it, clinging to the ground, the walls, the rooftops…nearly anything it could get its hands on. A central road seemed to pierce through the middle of the town, and through the fog I could see a bell tower just to our left.

I also saw…silhouettes. They looked to be people, though I couldn't tell much more than that. Even worse, they seemed to disappear into the fog, even though it didn't look as if they were walking. I saw three, maybe four, each flitting out of eyesight. I couldn't tell if it was just the fog waxing and waning in places, or if they really were…disappearing.

"Keep your guard up…I get the feeling this place isn't as abandoned as it looks." Flynn must have had the same intuition I did, raising his shield up and keeping his cleaver at the ready. We walked down the main thoroughfare, our heads on a swivel as we looked for any signs of danger. The silhouettes started to grow more apparent - and when one faded away, it became abundantly clear that it simply vanished…but where did it go.

A blast of glintstone magic from our left answered that question, catching me on the shoulder as a figure reappeared in my blindspot. When I spun to look at it, I was staring at the form of one of the academy mages, clad in a glintstone crown and robes. The entire figure was a transparent blue, reminiscent of the beings we saw atop the bridges in Caria Manor…and yet it felt different. Flynn was the first to strike back, rushing forward and throwing his cleaver into it. The shade couldn't put up much of a fight, much like its corporeal brethren. One strong hit from his cleaver and the shade disapparated…though I wasn't sure if it was truly gone, or simply vanished somewhere else.

Now that one had struck, it seemed that we'd awoken the hornet's nest. More magic started coming at us from all sides as more of these ghostly mages started to form near us. We fended them off, ducking behind cover when we could to avoid a blast of magic and retaliating when we could. One by one we picked them off, clearing the streets. We continued forward, drawing a steady trickle of them towards us. There was something here that they didn't want us to know…that, or these shades knew only to attack those that were not like themselves.

About halfway along the road we came across an archway that was sealed by a glyphed wall. Rather than like Raya Lucaria though, the barrier behind the glyph was a frosty white, and the seal emblazoned upon it was different than the academy's. Up ahead I saw another, sitting at the top of a staircase. I could only assume this was what the bell towers were hiding - and that we'd need to make it to the rooftop if we wanted to clear a path.

We fought our way to the staircase, reaching a small courtyard out front with a golden tree in the middle. I looked around - three bell towers, and none of them seemed particularly accessible. The best route I could see was to try to scramble along tree branches that twisted and turned in the right direction, but even that would require a precarious jump or two. I looked at Flynn, seeing a suit of armor that was…less than ideal for the task at hand.

"Yeah yeah…let's not go over this again. I'll let you handle it…pretty sure I'd just slow you down."

I smirked. "Just remember…I didn't say anything this time. But if I did…I'd agree with you. I'll try to be back soon."

I moved towards the closest tower, not far to our right. A quick jump onto a branch got me most of the way there, though I practically flung myself at a mound of fungus to actually reach the tower. I gagged at the feel and smell of it as I clambered up. Climbing wasn't supposed to be…squishy. Once atop it though I scaled a ladder, reaching the peak. There, rather than a bell…was a brazier. It wasn't identical to what we saw down in Siofra, but…I looked over at Flynn. Would he have to make this trip? I wanted to avoid that, if I could.

I extended my hand, knowing full well that there was no spark or vestige of pyromancy anywhere within me, but hoping nonetheless that it would be enough. I held it there for a second…and then another. Damnit.

Just as I turned to get Flynn's attention, I felt a heat bloom from behind me. When I looked back, a blue flame burned from within the brazier. It gave off a cold heat, as if it was magical in nature…but it burned nonetheless, and I hoped that's what mattered. I looked over towards the sealed gate beyond the courtyard, hoping to see it vanish but nothing of the sort. Perhaps it had opened a different gate in town…we'd seen the one, but it was certainly possible there were more. In any case, two more towers to go.

The remaining two towers were on the opposite side of Sellia from us, and I could tell from the start that it would be a fair bit of trial-and-error to make it across. The rooftops were multi-leveled, and each level was just a bit too tall to try and scale on my own. Multiple times I had to retrace my steps and try to tightrope across a branch that weaved around the side of a building, getting me deeper into the town but on a different path. Eventually I started to get close to both of them, and after another quick ladder climb I was at the second.

I was too far away now from the courtyard to see what happened when the second brazier was lit, the fog too dense to see if the gate fell or not. I moved over to the third tower for good measure, setting its brazier alight as well. That was all three…and according to Gowry, all we needed to do. I climbed my way back to the ground, heading back up the road.

Along the way though, I noticed that the gateway along the road had vanished as well. Inside was a sheaf of scrolls…and if I had to guess, sorceries. I took a look at one, eyeing it up and down. It bore the same crest that the gateway did, though that was all that I could tell. I furled it up and held onto it…perhaps Flynn could find a use for it.

When I got back to the courtyard, Flynn also had something in his hands - a stonesword key, one with a distinct bluish coloration to it, of which we'd only seen once before at the bell towers in Liurnia. "Figured I'd wander around a bit while I was waiting…found another gated door off to the left. This was inside. Might be worth heading back to Liurnia whenever we wrap up our work here."

"Not a bad idea. I found this along the road…another one for your ever-growing collection." I handed the scroll over to Flynn, my brother taking a brief glance at it.

"Between you and me…I don't recognize anything on it. I'm thinking this is in a different dialect than the Carian magic or anything else we've found so far. It would make sense that Sellia would have its own branch of magic study here."

"Well then no need to worry about it. Let's get back to Gowry's, hopefully he's finished his work on the needle." We started back, as I remembered the braziers I'd just lit. "One more thing…to activate the towers, I had to light braziers with flame. I don't know what you did down in Siofra but this felt…similar."

That got my brother quiet for a moment as he mulled over that information. "So it's possible that it's not just me?"

"I don't know, Flynn…I'm just stating facts. Believe what you want to believe, I don't think you can prove or disprove it."

"I want to believe that I have some ember of pyromancy within me - that I didn't give away…everything."

I placed my hand on his shoulder. "Then you didn't. Fia didn't take it all…and what's left is what matters."

"Yeah…I guess anything's possible, but ever since that day…everything's felt colder. I just - "

"It's there, Flynn…I believe it. And if it's not, we'll get it back. I know we can, we've done crazier things. For now though…let's focus on this needle, and Millicent. That's something we can get done today. Fia…that's something we can work on down the road."

We approached Gowry's shack once more, stepping inside. The old man was waiting for us, a needle held unsteadily in one hand. "Ah, I take it you've returned. I've mended the needle…it will repel the scarlet rot now, of that I'm sure. Can you take it to Millicent?"

Flynn nodded, taking the needle from him. I noticed a faint hint of red on the otherwise solidly-gold needle, around where the two halves had been mended. That gave me a bit of concern…but perhaps it was just an artifact of the mending process. "You said that she's in a church up the hill. Anything else we need to know?"

Gowry nodded. "She's being watched by adherents…no, perhaps worshippers is a better term. Watched by worshippers of her, and the rot within her. They will do her no harm, but I cannot say the same for you. Millicent herself will do you no harm. Simply offer her the needle, I am sure she will know what to do with it."

"Hold on…worshippers of…scarlet rot?" I looked around at the hellscape that was Caelid - it wasn't so drastic here given that we were in a ravine, but I could still see the bulbous mangled trees of rot off in the distance. "Why would anyone worship this?"

"The gods of this land gave us many things…we received the Golden Order from the Greater Will, fire from the Fell God…and scarlet Rot from the God of Rot. All of them have their adherents, spread across the land. But in Caelid, where the powers of the God of Rot manifest so fully…here, her followers congregate. You need not align with them or their interests, nor do you need to hinder them. The rot is here, and it is here to stay…such is the way of rebirth."

I shuddered, hearing those words. The way Gowry spoke…I was confident he was a worshiper of Rot as well, but I was willing to ignore that. We had the repaired needle…all that was left was getting it to Milicent. We mounted up on Torrent, riding through the main street of Sellia, up into the courtyard, and beyond.

Beyond the gateway was a climb, Torrent weaving back and forth along the cliffside as we ascended higher and higher. Skeletons began to knit themselves together as we passed, but we outsped them - by the time they were fully-formed we'd already turned a corner, ascending higher. Near the top, I saw a bright flash of light - and a moment later, a boulder much like the one that nearly caught us within the Academy came rolling directly towards us. I jerked hard on the reigns as Torrent followed his own instincts, veering towards the left to avoid the oncoming collision. I felt the wind of the ball as it rolled past…but when I looked around, nothing was there. Something that large, that targeted…I could only assume it needed someone to aim and push it, but nothing was around.

I didn't let the thought linger too long as I saw the peak of a cathedral in the distance. We rode past yet another towering face formed from rot, this one with a tree branch protruding from one eye socket to give it an even more sickly appearance. I held my breath, the already-unpleasant odor of Caelid momentarily growing stronger as we rode past. Another flash of light - and this time, I saw another boulder form from midair, spinning of its own volition towards us. We had more time to react this time, easily avoiding it as our incline leveled out, giving us a view of the church.

I saw what Gowry mentioned - two of the strange centipede-like creatures stood out front as if guarding the entrance…guarding Millicent. I looked around…if they were here to protect Millicent, trying to start a fight with them wouldn't put us on the best of terms with her once we got inside. I guided Torrent to the left, jumping up a couple times to a graveyard a bit higher up, where I dismissed our mount. "Let's try to approach quietly…and hope that we aren't seen."

"I'll do my best." Flynn and I moved as quietly as we could, a faint breeze through the tall grass doing a lot to mask the sounds of our movements. An occasional lurch of metal pierced the air when Flynn landed on his foot the wrong way, but it wasn't enough to earn the attention of the guards outside. Soon, we got past them, and were able to set foot into the church proper.

I could hear Millicent before I could see her - the sounds of ragged breathing, of clammy shivering, of someone in pain. When we stepped inside my eyes locked onto that sound, glancing at her. She looked…like a defeated woman. She was curled up on the ground, one arm clutching her midsection while her head was slumped over. It took me a moment to notice that where her other arm would have been, inside the cloth of her dress was tied into a knot, that entire side of her garb coated with a dried layer of blood. The rot had cost her her arm…it was amazing she was still alive. Long gloves and boots masked the sight of any of her skin, her head covered by an unkempt bit of vibrantly red hair.

"Millicent?" Flynn spoke softly, not wanting to startle her.

Millicent looked up, her head lolling back to rest against the stone wall that she was resting on. Her skin was pallid, a sickly green hue to it that further showed just how frail and ill she was, just how much this sickness had taken from her. What was even more noticeable were her eyes. Each eye was a piercing gold, so vibrant and healthy that it looked completely out of place on the rest of her. When she spoke her voice was raspy, as if she hadn't drank water in weeks…she likely hadn't. "Yes? Y-you'd best get away, if you value yourself. I'm tainted with - "

"We know." I knelt down, sitting on the ground with her. "Gowry told us to come find you, he told us quite a bit. We have a needle he asked us to bring you, one he said that would help you get better."

"A…needle? You ask that I stab myself with a needle?"

Hearing it spoken back to us, I did realize how outlandish the proposition sounded. "Yes. I…I wish I could tell you more, but I'm afraid that's all I know. He said it would help you."

Millicent weekly nodded, finding it far easier to bob her head down as opposed to back up. "Very well…if it is an alternative to letting the rot despoil me like this, I'm willing to take that risk. Please…hand it to me."

Flynn held out his hand, offering the needle to Millicent. She grasped it, her fingertips fumbling to pick it up. She turned it around in her hands a time or two, nearly dropping it. "Would you…avert your eyes, for but a moment?"

"Of course." Flynn and I turned around, moving towards a grace in the center of the church.

Even without sight, I could hear what Millicent was doing. Her ragged breathing hitched, and then held for a few seconds…followed by a steady hiss as she buried the needle deeper within herself. "Thank you…that was a bit easier than expected."

I turned around, looking at her once again. If there was supposed to be an immediate effect, I didn't notice once. Perhaps her breathing was a little more steady…but that might have just been my optimism getting the better of me. "How do you feel?"

"I feel…tired, a bit woozy." Her eyelids fluttered, her head bobbing forward before she righted herself. "I…I think I'm going to - "

The words were cut short by her head lolling forward again, but this time it remained. She was still breathing, that much I was certain…but the needle was taking a toll on her, and she would need time to handle that.

"Flynn, let's move her to the grace here…give her somewhere better to rest." We picked her up, moving her the few necessary steps over to let her rest by the grace. She'd previously been resting upon a tarp, but Flynn picked that up, brushed it off, and laid it over top of her like a blanket. It wasn't much…a small gesture if nothing else, but hopefully one that she'd appreciate. "Take all the time you need Millicent…all the time you need."

Flynn turned to look at me. "I think we return in a little bit. I know you care…you know I do too, but we've done what we were told, and it's time for, well, time, to run its course. I think we can head to the castle and see if Blaidd's there. What are your thoughts?"

I looked down at Millicent…he was right. I didn't want to leave…but we had to. "Yeah…let's go."

My words were punctuated by the sound of crashing off in the distance. Flynn and I looked around, both stepping outside the church to the south. There, we saw the source - a ball of fire arcing through the air, being launched from somewhere deep within Castle Redmane. A coalition of perhaps a half-dozen people, each one barely pinpricks for how far away they were, charged across a bridge, trying to storm the castle. Fire erupted where the ball landed, sending several things flying through the air.

"Well…looks like the welcoming party just arrived."